the guys? the football? the crowd?

someone asked me why do I watch football. do I watch it for the cute guys or for the football. Hmm.. I think I only watch world cup. and come to think of it, it's not really the cute guys or the football really. In 1998, I first started watching, cos the guy I liked was crazy over soccer, and I just wanted to accompany him over the phone at nights and see what he saw in it. But now, I'm doing it for myself. of course its great too, when the whole family watches together. BTW, my tele has HDMI!! its super clear! I guess it's just the whole experience. knowing who won who, who scored what, admiring the great goals and impressive saves. And most of all, it just makes one happy, happy when you see a stadium of whacko fans wearing ridiculous hats, sprouting outrageous hair-dos and covering themselves in body and face paint. Grown man behaving like little kids, doing little dances, cheering madly. Of course, the camera catches all the celebrations when a goal is scored for your team. We also laugh when coaches give the "COME ON" face when something bad is done to their teams. Everyone is just so protective over their own team and feel righteous or indignant for their own team.

But just now, I saw this boy crying after the Czech match, his face painted in red, blue and white. his daddy was beside him, talking softly to him. And I felt sad too. then the camera focused on another man with a red, blue and white mohawk and painted face sitting alone in the stands, staring into space. Emotions.. We're so easily affected by how others are feeling, even if we're half a globe away from one another. It's the intensity of emotions that draws me as an audience.

I said something damn bimbo just now. I was supporting Ghana, and then during the penalty kick, which I thought was wrongfully given in the first place, the camera fell on a Czech boy with gilstening eyes and I suddenly say out loud, "okay, I don't want the penalty to go in, and I hope Czech scores, cos I don't want the boy to cry anymore. Please let them draw!" But that is ridiculous cos even if there can be draws now, eventually in the knockout stages, there are winners and losers and someone has to celebrate, and someone has to be disappointed.

On a side note, its great when I get to see beautiful footage of Germany too. Really loved the short time I spent there, and just feel the urge to visit again. I know.. I'm totally falling into the trap of tourism. What can I say? World cup is a great chance to publicise ur country.